Bob the Border -IBD, diet? (updated @ post 28)

Remember me, Bob the BT who had campylobacter and poss ibd.

Im at my wits end for him.
Really thought we had cracked it... Orijen and JWB lamb and veg cereal free and grains etc - today and couplel of days ago - off he went into garden to eat grass and be sick, wont eat again this morning - not even the lamb and veg JWb - have now ordered a 2kg bag of wafcol salmon and potato as others seem to suggest this could help his ibd. but what if he just doesnt want to eat full stop - ie even nature diet pack he wouldnt touch.

will try to warm the jwb up at lunchtime and tempt him.
his poos are fine.

vet still feels he has ibd, but the upper intestinal area not bowel. which is why he only really gets the sickness early morning. stretching out etc, back legs

feel he may have to go on long term med now.

i have been feeding him am, lunch, 5pm and before bed - just to line tum. no treats, really strict.
i think the orijen may not be right for him now.

aaerrgghh

he is a different dog when he is like this....

You have my sympathy. Oscar has probably IBD and feeding him has been hell. The only food we have found (thus far) that doesn't make him sick is Royal Canin Intestinal (it's a 'veterinary diet' and costs a fortune, although cheaper online than through the vet).

I'm considering trying a fish and potato diet for him as it is meant to be good. I'm just a bit loathe to go through the change over in case he starts being sick or having diarrheoa again.

It's hard work finding a balance. Is Bob on medication?

Hi
Well not on meds for IBD as yet as he had a positive result for campylobacter which he has just finished 2nd two week antibiotic course (marbocyl) - he was happy to eat when on those, just waiting final feacal results to see if he is clear from the camp. She says that due to having this he may need special diet or sensitive diet from now on, but wants to hold off giving ibd meds (ie steroids) until result through. Today he wont touch fish and rice, anything at all, stomach is gurgling like crazy and he wont let me put the zitac tablet in him either!

What is your dog medicated with?

At the moment Oscar is medicated with Prednisolone (a steroid) as he is atopic as well. Once his dermatologist has given us a plan for his atopy then we will have to look at how best to treat his IBD.

The vet wants him to have an endoscopy as on his barium x-rays there was bunching of the barium beads just beneath his stomach for 12+ hours so he may get partial obstruction there from inflammation but she only wants to send him for it when he is really flared up and ill so we get the best results. So at the moment we have to wait on that one.

It's a fine balancing act with how much medication to give him to keep his skin/guts under control but not give him too much because of long term side effects.

Sorry not much to add, but I feel so sorry for him, you are trying so hard to make his life so much better. I hope you can get him sorted and feeling better.
My springer has a few problems with his tummy and at the mo he is eating natures diet with a wholemeal biscuit, and it seems to be working for now, fingers crossed. My other dogs are raw fed, but try as I might, Denva just cannot tolerate it.

I'm sure you will have a break through soon.

Try a bit of goats milk yoghurt, you can get it in Tescos here so its easy to obtain.

Shouldn't do any harm and might help.

rune

Oh dear, poor Bob.
I have been reading your threads on Bob with interest, as Lucca (Weim) had Camylobacter when we got him, (we didn't know at the time).
It came back many times, and he seemed to be permanently on antibiotics, he would be OK while he was taking the antibiotics, and then he would go downhill again until he refused to eat, then back to the vets and more AB's. Things finally came to a head this time last year, Lucca's weight had gone down to 22kg (for a 35kg dog, he looked like a starvation victim, I could no longer walk him as he didn't have the energy - and I thought I would be arrested for cruelty if I did!
I had a showdown with the vet on the phone, I told him I was bringing Lucca in, and that I would't take him home until I had a diagnosis and a suitable treatment. I left him at the vets not knowing if I would ever see him again.
The next day he had 2 contrast xrays, he was ultrasounded and endescoped under GA. Lucca came home with a carrier bag of meds - AB's for a month, Immodium to slow his digestive transit time and Kaolin paste to soothe his tum. He was also put on Hills Prescription i/d in very small ammounts to try to get some nutrition into him.
A week later he was taking his meds, and the food was staying in (and down), he hadn't put on any weight, but he had't lost anymore. The results of the bloodtests and the biopsies taken at the endoscopy came back.
To put it simply, his small bowel was shot. It was completely smooth, and so he was hardly absorbing any food, the blood test revealed he had perniscios anaemia, so he needed B12 shot weekly. The bowel tests were strongly suggestive of caeliac disease (which the other half suffers from).
The vet did some digging on the web and came back with a diagnosis of bacterial overgrowth syndrome of the small bowel, and probable caeliac disease. Further allergy testing revealed a strong allergy to wheat, lamb and beef.
Allof this cost £3000 or so (thank god for insurance).
Lucca slowly improved on the Hills i/d, and we found if we mixed it with overcooked rice and minced chicken, turkey or pork, his guts stayed quiet and he slowly put on weight. It took about 6 months to get him gradualy back to health, and even now he still can become ill in a few hours, for example he managed to snaffle some beef stew last week when my back was turned, only a couple of mouthfulls, but enough for the "washing machine" tum and vomiting and diahorreah. Out came the Immodium and the kaolin paste, and none of us got any sleep last Friday night.
What I am trying to say in this rather rambling and long-winded post is this:
Is your vet sure he has IBS?
Can you afford any further tests (I know you have already said there is no insurance cover).
Have you thought about a very bland diet such as i/d and rice and an easily digestible protein such as chicken or white fish?

Sending you and Bob hugs, I hope you get this sorted.
(Lucca sends woofs too).

I have said to you before and I think others on the Border forum have, try something else other than a complete food. Forget all in one. I tried all these things with mine, he was HUNGRY, thats why he got the rumbly tummy, thats why he ate grass, thats why he wouldnt eat, it was a vicious circle.
I feel this will again fall on deaf ears, but Ill say again, try Naturediet or tinned chappie. Feed as soon as you get up, and then as you have been, feeding a reasonable meal am and last thing, with two smaller meals during the day.

Are you sure the food isnt Eukanuba Intestinal? Our two girls are fed on it and yes it is expensive but it is an absolutely brilliant food. When all else fails, it is there and like most of the premium foods you dont need to feed a lot of it. I couldnt praise this food highly enough

In my experience a grumbly tummy does not always mean the dog is hungry, it can mean the tummy is quite off. I can sympathise with the poster.

Has your vet did a full blood profile lately?

Thanks to all for your info; it certainly wont fall on deaf ears. BORDERDAWN> i feed him 4 times throughout day to line his tum, the amount of food he has he really cant be hungry...

He for some reason wont eat nature diet, or chappie!
Trust me, there is not a food that I havnt tried.

So far, JWB Lamb and Veg (cereal free seems to be ok) again. He had some boiled rice last night and seems ok today so perhaps he can have rice too within the complete foods such as JWB brand.

Even tried Wafcol Salmon and Potato - wont touch! This i heard was meant to be good for IBD sufferers.

Should hear by tomorrow/bext day re campylobacter if its cleared or not.

Plan of action is to wait for results, keep him on JWB cereal free until then.

Thanks again,